This paper discussed about an emerging technology, Brain-computer Interface (BCI). BCI helps to control remote devices by making use of electrophysiological signals. BCI consists of electrodes which can apply to the scalp of an individual. These electrodes capture brain’s electrical activity and carry the same to amplifiers, where these amplifiers pass the signal to a computer for processing through an analog to digital converter

Overview:

BCI performs communication and environmental control by providing EEG signal to the computer for processing. In BCI’s considerable amount of time spends on recognition and signal processing and also much complexity involves in the signals carried out by a BCI, so because of these BCI’s are slow in performance when compared to that of human actions. The BCI system takes Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals as inputs and gives control option by its output. The obtained output signals are evaluated as cursor control or prosthesis control.

BCI provides a communication channel for patients with locked-in-syndrome. BCIs aimed at repairing human cognitive functions. BCI reads electrical signals of human brain activity and translate them to computer understandable digital language and then converted into few actions like turning on a TV or moving a cursor. BCI helps to the patients who cannot perform actions based on the signals from their brain. Apart from medical usage, BCI is also useful for gaming and automobile activities. Few of the technologies used for BCI are neural tissue engineering, robotics and signal processing.

Conclusions:

Mostly the direct communication through EEG takes place in BCI. Signal acquisition, Signal processing, classification and pattern recognition and application are the four main components of a BCI system. BCI creates a direct communication between human brain and external devices. Neuroprosthetics is a technique using in BCI to control nervous system disabilities. But there is a need of extensive training on how to use EEG technique in BCI system. BCI environment setup is costly so implementation of BCI system is more cost-effective.